There Can Be No Peace
by Of Quirky Excellence
Summary: A oneshot with a little bit of backstory on Annabelle Hawke. Still reeling from the death of her younger sister, Hawke thinks she can find some peace drowning her sorrows in ale. How wrong she turns out to be when the man Bethany loved shows up demanding answers and some peace of mind. But he says himself, there can be no peace.


**There Can Be No Peace**

**By Of Quirky Excellence**

Annabelle sighed as she watched the others leave the Hanged Man. It had been just over three hours since she, Varric, and Fenris had returned from the Deep Roads. _Without Bethany._

"_I need you to be strong. For mother. And…tell Anders," Bethany cringed in agony as the taint claimed more of her. After a small cough, the dark-haired apostate continued. "My last thoughts were of him…" Hawke nodded softly, a tinge of pain in her chest as she squeezed her sister's hand, a hand that was once so capable, so talented, and now one that was pale and weak. The blonde rogue nodded again, involuntarily. She didn't want to kill her own sister, but she knew if Bethany insisted on dying on her own terms, she'd be selfish to deny her that right._

"_And I want you to know, even though you think he's trouble…I love him…I always will." Bethany said softly so only Hawke could hear. The young apostate now looked dazed and pale, and Annabelle's dread set in when she could see almost every vein on her sister's face._

"_I told you that to protect you…but I knew nothing I said could keep you two apart. I want you to know that I forgive you. I had no right to control who you loved…" Annabelle felt like a hypocrite because she had feelings for Fenris, and her mother disapproved. She burst into tears._

_Bethany reached up to Hawke's shoulder, and nodded as Annabelle's hand met her own. "It is time…please. You have to do this." The rogue's sobs subsided for the time being and she took heavy breaths between her words._

"_I…I know." Hawke said. "And I'm sorry."_

_Fenris knelt beside her, while Varric stood with a hand on Hawke's shoulder. The elf's expression softened as the dying apostate smiled up at him. "Look after her. And be nice to Anders. Please."_

_Fenris met her request with a curt nod, and a broken attempt to speak. "I…will try." That was all he could manage._

_Varric was the next to speak. "I'll remind him of that promise, Sunshine." The dwarf said sadly. He was about to cry as well. Then Bethany reached up a little higher on Annabelle's shoulder and took the smaller of her twin daggers._

_The mage guided Hawke's hand to the dagger and Hawke slowly took it, then Bethany let go of Hawke's other hand, placing her two pale hands over Hawke's gauntlet, bringing the dagger to Bethany's chest. Then the dark-haired girl closed her eyes and smiled. "Thank you, sister."_

_Then Hawke ended her sister's suffering by plunging the dagger into her heart._

As Hawke started to stand up and take the long walk back to Hightown, the door of the crowded tavern opened and in stepped a very troubled Anders. He looked angry and his face and eyes were red like he'd been crying.

As he approached her, her expression softened. Her blue eyes grew wider, and she started to breathe heavily, like she was going to cry again. But then she remembered her sister's words. _Be strong, Annabelle. They need your support. _ She managed to keep her composure as Anders sat down across from her at the table, his breath labored, like he'd been running in the cold Kirkwall night, and probably crying.

"Anders." Her voice cracked a little. "I didn't think you'd come."

"What did you think I would do?!" Anders said, his face turning red. _Tread carefully, Hawke. There's a fine line between anger and abominations. _She told herself silently. The last thing she wanted was to bring Justice out. One word of magic, especially involving possession, and the Templars would be sniffing around faster than Hawke could break up a nug-fight.

"I just…thought you needed time. That's all." She said in a small voice. "I know you two were close."

"You told her to stay away from me! You made it seem like you only wanted ONE apostate in your damned family! But she wouldn't stay away. I hope you know that…she came to me before you all left. She was angry. Said she wished I could go. You brought _Fenris _instead!"

"Anders…I'm sorry. She…she got the Taint. There wasn't anything else I could've done…I…"

"You _KILLED _her!" Anders roared. Luckily for both of them, a bar fight was taking place nearby, and everyone was too focused on breaking that up to hear that accusation.

"And I have to live with that for the rest of my life! Do you think I wanted to? Do you think I had much of a choice?" Hawke asked, trying on her last legs to stay calm.

"N-no. But…Hawke, how could you?!" Anders stood up and turned to leave.

She ducked quickly under the table, putting her training as a rogue to good use and she took the angry apostate's arm, keeping him from leaving for now. She looked him in the eyes, both his amber eyes and her blue ones full of tears, and she answered him softly.  
>"I did it to spare her the pain of the taint. You're a Warden and you should know all about that. In death, I gave her peace."<p>

"Hawke, there can be no peace." He said with a softness akin to distant thunder. Then he stormed out of the Tavern.


End file.
